Turkey & Spinach Meatballs over Spaghetti with a Simple Green Salad

Turkey & Spinach Meatballs over Spaghetti with a Simple Green Salad

⏱ Prep: 15 min🔥 Cook: 20 min⏰ Total: 35 min🍽 Serves 4 (+ leftovers)
Toddler tip: Full spaghetti portion; cut the meatballs into small bites.
Low-carb fork: For Cam: serve the meatballs over zucchini noodles or a bigger pile of salad instead of spaghetti.

Ingredients

Turkey Meatballs

  • 1¼ lbground turkey (93% lean)
  • 1egg
  • ½ cuppanko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cupgrated Parmesan (plus more to finish)
  • 2 clovesgarlic, minced (+ 1 extra clove for the sauce)
  • 1 cupfresh spinach, chopped and squeezed dry
  • 1 tspdried oregano
  • to tastesalt and pepper

Sauce & Pasta

  • 1 jar (24 oz)marinara sauce (plain — see note)
  • 1 lbspaghetti
  • 2 tbspolive oil

Simple Green Salad

  • 4-5 ozspring mix
  • ½English cucumber, sliced
  • 1 cupcherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2-3 tbspvinaigrette: 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, pinch salt

Instructions

1Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil for the spaghetti.
2Mix the meatballs gently: turkey, egg, panko, Parmesan, the minced garlic, the squeezed-dry spinach, oregano, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Don't overwork it. (Tip: wilt the spinach 30 sec in the microwave first — it's far easier to squeeze dry than raw leaves.) Roll into about 16 meatballs.
3Brown the meatballs in olive oil over medium-high, 6-8 min, turning to color all sides. Push them to one side, add the extra smashed garlic clove and a pinch of oregano, and sizzle 30 sec until fragrant. Pour in the marinara, lower the heat, and simmer 10 min until the meatballs hit 165°F in the center.
4Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti to al dente; reserve a splash of pasta water and toss it into the sauce to loosen if needed.
5While the sauce simmers, build the salad: spring mix, cucumber and cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Whisk the vinaigrette — 2 parts olive oil to 1 part red wine vinegar with a good pinch of salt — but dress it only at the table so the greens stay crisp.
6Serve the meatballs and sauce over spaghetti, finished with a little grated Parmesan, salad alongside. For Cam, plate over zucchini noodles or extra salad; the toddler gets the full spaghetti portion.